Category Archives: 3D Printing

Greetings All! Working with Packt, I wrote a project-based learning book to teach Blender for 3D Printing. It got published last week! I decided my return to YouTube should be called, “You Guys, I Wrote a Book!!!”.

The book walks through four separate projects to teach Blender tools and skills.
Profile Pendant

The President of 3DP Events, LLC (the force behind ERRF), @MCHRISP1, was kind enough to give some of my failed Orioles a home. Being from Maryland, he was quite delighted to add one to his Christmas tree….even if their eyes were a little overextruded. : )

This morning I caught up on a few things for my Etsy site. New listings now available for perusal:

Black 3D Printed Bow Tie
A few months ago, I got a rushed custom order from someone looking for a Black Bow Tie for a wedding. They had a good idea and I’ll make sure to keep a black “tuxedo-ready” version in stock for the future.

Brown, Wood-Like Bow-Tie
I inadvertently discovered the Brown Plastic version of the Bow Tie looks just as good as the Wooden One. Since this material is a little less finicky, I can offer it for a lower price than the full blown wood… just in time for Father’s Day!

School Bus Wine Stopper
A great gift for your favorite retiring School Bus Driver! After about a dozen custom orders, I decided to finally list my School Bus Wine Stopper up on Etsy.

Standing Cancer Ribbon
This is another one where custom orders have enticed me to make an Etsy listing. The Standing Cancer Ribbon can be customized in color and inscription.

A friend of mine who is a drone-enthusiast recently starting dabbling in Fusion 360. He designed himself a GoPro Mount for his SpaceOne 220x which I printed over here on the Wanhao Duplicator i3. It ended up being a pretty darn sweet deal for me. Quick easy print and I got a free sushi dinner out of the gig (not to mention great company over the meal).

Now that the weather is warm, my friend is flying more frequently and I’m finding it delightful to see the print in action… or rather what the print helps records while in action. The latest video is below. You can also check out his channel at Pokey FPV.

One thing I find absolutely invigorating– helping people out in the community. After my Simplify3D Print of the Week, Twitter user @TomLum1 reached out with some questions. Look how quickly he mastered and applied his new knowledge! Lovely!

This five color print is for a friend in Crookston, Minnesota. I, of course, use my beloved Simplify3D Multiple Processes. I believe it is my largest multi-colored print– it took up the whole bed of the MakerGear M2.

Ha! I have had not one but TWO YouTube commenters point out that my Spool Holder on the Wanhao was backwards. I did a Google Image search and sure enough– it appeared I was the only person in the entire world that had mine pointing towards the outside of the machine.

I felt a little relieved when I looked at the Quick Start Guide. At first glance the image made it look like I wasn’t a complete trail blazer. When I looked at the picture, I saw the spool holder pointing outwards…. like mine.

But when my husband looked at the picture, he saw it differently. It’s the angle of the image. It is pointing to “outside” of the machine— but the other side. So it is still pointing to the center like the rest of the Wanhao User Base.

When I decided the Wanhao was going to be accompanying me to the Maker Faire Nova, I decided it was time to make a correction. First thing in the morning, I got out an allen wrench and made the switch.

I turned the machine back on and I tried just heating up the Extruder. The machine kept running.

Well if the 3D Printing Dieties were trying to stop me from printing on that Wanhao, there is something they don’t know:

I actually kinda like printing on Painter’s Tape! 🙂

I know, I know. I’m in the vast minority.

I fancy how fast I can start and remove prints (not waiting for the bed to heat up and cool down).

I also like how if my first layer is a little too close and the print wants to be stubborn coming off, I have the freedom of just using the BuildTak Spatula to rip the tape to remove my object.

Finally, for things were I want the top layer and bottom layer to be similar in appearance (like dice or spinning PokeStops), I find the Painter’s Tape to have a better match than the shiny gloss that comes with a heated bed— particularly a glass heated bed.

The things I wanted to print didn’t need a heated bed, so I resliced with no heat and the show went on!

At the time of publishing this video, I have about 8 days left until Maker Faire Nova on March 19, 2017. More information about the event and tickets can be purchased at http://nova.makerfaire.com/

For my third time participating, I am focusing on 3D prints with embedded elements. With the help of my MakerGear M2, the Wanhao Duplicator i3, and my ever trusty Simplify3D, here’s what I got brewing: